Bedstead.



No. 857,407. PATENTED JUNE 1a, 1907. P KRUPP BEDSTEAD.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 6, 1907.

2 sums-51mm 1.

PATENTED JUNE 18, 1907 F. KRUPP.

BBDSTEAD.

APPLICATION FILED Mu 6,1907

7 28HEETSSHEET 2.

FRANK KRUPP,- OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

BEDSTEAD.

To aZZ'whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK KRUPP, a citizenof the United States, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Bedsteads, of which the following is a specification.

My invention pertains to bedsteads; and it has for one of its objects to provide a bedstead embodying such a construction that it may be expeditiously and easily converted from a rigid and stable bedstead into an easily handled stretcher and vice versa, this in order that a sick or injured person lying onthe convertible bedstead may be conveniently moved from one point to another without subjecting such person to pain or annoyance.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a combination bedstead and stretcher of the kind stated in which the parts are so constructed and relatively arranged that when not in use the device as a whole may be folded into a com act bundle such as can be transported to acl i antage from one place to another.

The invention is designed to be used to advantage in homes, hotels and hospitals,

and also. on battlefields and at scenes of disaster; and its novelty, utility and practical advantages will be fully understood from the following description and claims when the same are read in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the device constituting the present and preferred embodiment of my invention as the same appears when arranged to form a bedstead. Fi 2 is an enlarged, detail vertical. section, ta (en in the plane indicated by the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 3.is an enlarged detail, inverted plan view illustrative of the corner block at the upper left hand corner of Fig. 1 and the arts connected therewith.v Fig. 3 is a deta' section showing the taper of the tongues and grooves. Fig. 4 is a plan view withparts in section and also with the flexible support partly broken away, showing my device as the same appears when converted into a stretcher. Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken in the lane indicated by the line 55 of Fig. 4, loo ring in the direction of the arrows- Fig. 6 is a detail side elevation illustrating the manner in which the combined Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 6, 1907- Serial No.' 372,218.

Patented June 18,1967.

legs and handle bars are positioned under the side bars of the frame when the device is to be folded into a compact bundle for shipment or storage.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the views of the drawings. i

As best shown in Fig. 1, the frame of my novel convertible device is made up of side bars A, end bars B, two corner blocksO having combined legs and handle bars D formed integral with or otherwise fixed to. them, and two corner blocks C having similar combined legs and handle bars I). The side bars A are of right angle form in cross-section, Fig. 5, and are provided at intervals in the length of their horizontalportions with vertical apertures a and are also provided at their ends with blocks or enlargements b on the outer ends of which are tongues c, for a urpose presently set forth. The end bars are also, by preference, of right angle form in cross-section, Fig. 2, and are rovided at their ends with enlargements or looks d on the outer ends of which tongues e are provided as shown. The corner blocks C are provided in their ends with grooves cc to receive the tongues c of the side bars A, and

withgrooves e to receive the tongues e on the end bars B, while the corner blocks C are each provided in one end with a groove 0 to receive a tongue cof one side bar A, and in its opposite end with a bifurcation f in which is arranged and pivoted a reduced end portion 9 of an end bar B.

As best shown in F i s. 2 and 4, each side bar A carries a corner lock C and a corner block C, and these corner blocks are respectively connected with the side bar through the medium of astraight link E, pivoted at h to the vertical portion of the side bar so as to swing vertically, and an angular link F piv-' oted at one end to the corner block, as indicated by i, and pivoted at its opposite end, as'indicated by 7', link E. said link connection, it will be apparent that the corner blocks and the end bars B engaged therewith may be swung from the position shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3,130 the position shown in Figs. 4 and 5, in the-manner and for the purpose hereinafter setforth in detail.

As clearly shown in Fig. 2 and also in Figs.

4c and 6, the combined legs and handle bars- 1) extend in opposite directions/from their respective corner blocks, so that when the to the swinging end of the By virtue of the provision of theparts are in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the said combined legs and handle bars deend from and extend above the corner be formed of textile or other suitable soft mai terial without involving departure from the scope of my invention, though I prefer to form it of canvas or duck. The said flexible support G may also, without affecting my invention, be connected to the side bars A in any approved manner. I prefer, however, to detachably connect the support G to the side bars A in the manner shown-that is to say, through the medium of cords H laced through eyelets I in the support G and through the before-mentioned vertical apertures a in the side bars A. The ends of the said cords II may be secured in any suitable manner,.as by tying the said ends together under the support G.

J J are straps equip ed with suitable buckles K, and designed or use when my novel device is converted into a stretcher.

In the practical use of my improvements it will be observed that when the corner blocks C and C are arranged as shown in Figs. 1 to 3, relative to the side bars A and the end bars B, and the tongues of the side bars are arranged in the grooves of the corner blocks, and the tongues on the end bars are arranged in the grooves of the corner blocks 0, the structure as a whole constitutes a rigid and stable bedstead; and it will also be observed that when the tongues on the side bars are lifted out of the complementary grooves in the corner blocks, the said corner blocks andthe end bars B in engagement therewith may be swung on the link connections from the position shown in Figs. 1 to 3, to the position shown in Figs. 4 and 5. In this latter position the ends of the corner blocks that were opposed to the ends of the side bars are opposed to the undersides of the side bars, and

, it will be noted that each end bar B holds its complementary corner blocks and the side bars apart. It will further be noted that when the straps J are passed about the side bars A and the inner portions of the combined legs and handle bars D, and are fastened in such position, Figs. 4c and 5, that the said straps will serve to securely hold the inner portions of the combined legs and handle bars to the side bars A so that carriers-grasping the portions of the combined legs and handle bars which extend beyond the ends of the side bars A, may conveniently carry a prostrate person on the stretcher.

To convert the stretcher shown in'Figs. 4 and 5 back into the bedstead illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, the operator has but to remove the straps J, and then shift the connected end bars and corner blocks from the position shown in Figs. 4. and 5 to the position shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, in which latter position the tongues onthe side bars are socketed in the complementary grooves of the corner blocks. At this point I deem it well to state that the several tongues and their complementary sockets are when in the position shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, tapered downward as shown in Fig. 3, this in order to prevent downward movement of the side bars and end bars with respect to the corner blocks which latter are supported by their combined legs and handle bars.

When it is desired to fold my novel device into a compact bundle for storage or shipment, the corner blocks are placed in the position shown in Fig. 6, relative to their respective side bars A, and are secured in such position through the medium of straps J and buckles K, and the end bars B are swung on the corner blocks C to which they are hinged until said end bars rest substantially parallel to the side bars A. With the parts thus positioned, it is obvious that the side bars and their appurtenances may be brought close together so as to form with the flexible support G a compact bundle and one that may be handled with facility.

The construction herein shown and described constitutes the preferred embodiment of my invention, but it is obvious that in practice such changes or modifications may be made as fairly fall within the scope of my invention as deflned'in the claims appended.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, 1S:

1. In a device adapted to be converted from a bedstead into a stretcher and vice versa, the combination of side bars, a support carried by said side bars, end bars, corner blocks connected with the end bars and detachably connected with the ends of the side bars, and combined legs and handle bars extending in opposite directions from the corner blocks; the lower portions of the said legs and handle bars being arranged in one position of the corner blocks to rest upon the floor and in another position of the corner blocks to rest under and be connected with the side bars, and connections intermediate the side bars and the corner blocks whereby the latter may be shifted from a position at the ends of the side bars to a position below the said side bars.

2. In a device adapted to be converted from a bedstead into a stretcher and vice versa, the combination with side bars, and a support carried by said side bars; of end bars, corner blocks connected with the end i bars and detachably connected with the ends j of the side bars, and combined legs and handle bars extending in opposite directions from the corner blocks; the inneror lower 1 portlons of the said legs and handle bars being arranged in one position of the corner blocks to rest upon the floor and in another position of the corner blocks to rest under and be connected with the side bars, and the outer or upper portions of the said legs and handle bars being arranged in one position of the corner blocks to extend above the corner blocks and in another position of the corner blocks to extend outward beyond theends of the side bars.

3. In a device adapted to be converted from a bedstead into a stretcher and vice versa and to be folded into a compact bundle, the combination of side bars, a flexible support connected with and extending between the side bars, corner blocks detachably connected with the ends of the side bars, end bars hinged to corner blocks and detachably connected to o posite corner blocks, connections intermediate the side bars and the corner blocks whereby the latter may be shifted from a position at the ends of the side bars to a position below the said side bars, and combined legs and handle bars extending in opposite directions from the corner blocks; the in ner portions of the said legs and handle bars being arranged in one position of the corner blocks to rest upon the'floor and in another position of the corner blocks to rest under and be connected with the side bars.

4. In a device adapted to be converted from a bedstead into a stretcher and vice versa, the combination of side bars, corner blocks having ends opposed to the ends of the side bars, tongues on the one .removably arranged in grooves in the other, a support carried by said side bars, end bars extending between and connecting opposite corner blocks, and combined legs and handle bars extending in opposite directions from the corner blocks; the inner portions of the said 1e s and handle bars being arranged in one position of the corner blocks to rest upon the floor and in another position of the corner blocks to rest under and be connected with the side bars, and

connections intermediate the side bars and the corner blocks whereby the latter may be shifted from a position at the ends of the side bars to a position below the said side bars.

5. In a device adapted to be converted from a bedstead into a stretcher and vice versa and to be folded into a compact bundle, the combination of side bars having downwardly tapered tongues at their ends, a flexible support connected with and extending between the side bars, corner blocks having downwardly tapered grooves their'ends opposed to the ends of the side bars to receive the tongues on said ends; two of the said corner blocks having downwardly tapered sockets in their other ends, end bars hinged to the other two corner blocks and having downwardly tapered tongues at their ends removably socketed in the last mentioned grooves of the corner blocks, link connections inter' mediate the side bars and the corner blocks, and combined legs and handle bars fixed with respect to and extending in opposite directions from the corner blocks, for the purposes V set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

. FRANK KRUPP. Witnesses:

FRANK HARRATTY, FRED. O. MAN. 

